Something for our Members "Down Under" Canadian Patriots as Convicts? NEVER

**CampX** · 05-16-2014, 04:35 PM

Maybe a bit off topic here, but not really and there is no other place to post this.
I was looking for something to read last night, and came across a book in my Library that I had bought sometime ago, but forgot about.

The Title is "Forgotten Patriots, Canada's Rebels on Australia's Convict Shores" By Jack Cahill.

I am sure that many of our Members from that Area know little if anything of the uprisings we had here in both the Upper and Lower Canada's (Quebec and Ontario now) during the late 1830s, well I never knew many who took part were sent to VDL as Convicts, I just started reading this last night, and am learning more of a part of Forgotten Canadian and Australian History...With that many Canadians sent there, it is no wonder that the ANZACs did so well in both World Wars!!! LOL,, Just kidding guys!!

Dean O
Ajax Canada

**willie45** · 05-17-2014, 07:59 AM

Thanks Dean, that sounds like a good one to read.
It's always good to find those little known historical links between countries.

Cheers, Willie.

**sandgroper** · 05-17-2014, 08:05 AM

We had convicts from all over mate, and shipped people the other way too. The first war Australian born soldiers ever fought in was the war of 1812, I can't remember offhand the number that went, it was only a small number but a contingent of the New South Wales Corp were there fighting alongside your mob.

**willie45** · 05-18-2014, 02:50 AM

We seemed to get around a bit. The last Confederate forces to surrender in the American Civil War had a big percentage of Australians among them as well.

Cheers, Willie.

**sandgroper** · 05-18-2014, 03:39 AM

by willie45

We seemed to get around a bit. The last Confederate forces to surrender in the American Civil War had a big percentage of Australians among them as well.

Cheers, Willie.

How interesting, I didn't know that Willie!

**Wagriff** · 05-18-2014, 05:24 AM

A shame they did not send one of my ancestors, Joseph Duquet, to Australia in 1838 Montreal. Instead, they decided to just hang him. Of course, they bungled the job and he smashed his face off on the edge of the trap door as he fell, but the officials there thoughtfully decided to leave him hang there until he quit kicking and making noise, figuring he was half dead Anyway. But, 20 years later, they repented and Did decide to move him to the Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery and buried him under a monument dedicated to the Patriotes of 1837-8, so I guess that's something, at least. Better late than never, I suppose, although I rather doubt that Joseph appreciated the somewhat tardy gesture.

**willie45** · 05-18-2014, 05:53 AM

by sandgroper

How interesting, I didn't know that Willie!

My version might not be 100% correct, but close.
The last forces to surrender were aboard the CSS Shenandoah, which sailed up the Mersey and surrendered at Liverpool, about six months after the end of the land fighting.
Previously, the Shenandoah had docked at Melbourne for repairs and had a few desertions, so about 40 Victorians stowed away and enlisted when they were in international waters. It caused a bit of a stink at the time, with the U.S. and Russian governments both getting their noses a bit out of joint over it. There were U.S. sailors in Melbourne at the same time, so there were a few brawls between U.S. and C.S. sailors.

The Shenandoah fired the last shot in the war. I think the Indian Brigade was the last unit to surrender on land.

Cheers, Willie.

**CampX** · 05-18-2014, 08:02 AM

Very interesting info from all!! I will have to look up those that Fought in the War of 1812 as I have never heard of that.

It seems many of the hangings of the those Men were a real mess, one they had to Hang 4 times before they finished the job

Thanks Guys.

Dean O

**sandgroper** · 05-18-2014, 08:14 AM

That is interesting too Dean, under British law they should only have had to hang him 3 times and if all three times the bloke lived he should have been freed. That happened once here, they tried to hang a convict and twice the knot undid and the bloke dropped to the ground unharmed and a third time the rope broke and he fell unharmed, he was then freed. That was the law at the time.